GDHQNHL15_2pg-Detroit Red Wings 1

Anaheim Ducks Gameday HQ

Detroit
RED WINGS
Key Additions:
Kevin Porter, Andy Miele
Key Subtractions:
David Legwand, Cory Emmerton,
Todd Bertuzzi
Strengths:
Veteran star power, winning
tradition
Weaknesses:
Injury concerns, shallow and
unproven defense
Offense
There were plenty of story lines surrounding the Detroit Red Wings
last season. The team began the year by moving into a new division and
a new conference, but it ended in a very familiar way. The Red Wings
qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 23rd consecutive season.
The playoff run was made more impressive by the fact that the
team set a franchise record with 421 man-games lost to injury and was
forced to dress 38 different players, including nine that made their NHL
debut. Among those missing significant playing time were team leaders
Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.
Even at 36-years old, Datsyuk is one of the most skilled forwards in
the league while Zetterberg and Franzen are two of the most physical.
They each finished in the top seven on the team in scoring even though
they played just 45, 45 and 54 games respectively.
With the team returning largely intact, Detroit hopes that their
older stars can help mentor the young talent that emerged last season.
Gustav Nyquist exploded onto the NHL radar by scoring 28 goals in 57
games. The 25-year old winger came into the season with a mere four
career NHL goals.
Tomas Tatar is another young winger that stepped up big when
injuries shuffled the roster. As his playing time increased, Tatar was
paired with youngsters Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco to create a
formidable second line. All three players may find themselves forming
the third line entering the season, but the relieved pressure could help
them repeat a season where they combined for 36 goals and 78 points.
One of the veterans that did have a productive season was a new
face on the team. After 17 seasons with the Ottawa Senators, 41-year
old Daniel Alfredsson tied for the team lead with 49 points, and the
Red Wings hope he’ll return for one final season if he can overcome
nagging back injuries.
Along the blue line, Niklas Kronwall continued to show
improvement in his 10th season with the Red Wings. He tied
Alfredsson with 49 points and was one of the few players to stay
healthy all season.
Defense
The Red Wings may have suffered just as much on defense as on
offense because of their big injuries. Although their defensemen were
comparatively healthy, Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Franzen are three of
the best two-way forwards in the league. While the young forwards
were able to prove themselves on the offensive end, they struggled
much more in their own zone.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Henrik Zetterberg
Dave Reginek/NHL/Getty Images